GreenH2@Work: Plug’s Longest-Term Employee Gregory Migirditch Reflects on Time at Plug
Gregory Migirditch of Latham said he remembers his first day as a Plug employee clearly. He and 21 of his colleagues from Mechanical Technology Inc. were pulled into a conference room with Plug’s first CEO Gary Mittleman.
“He told us about the expectations of the new company and what Plug Power was going to be,” Migirditch said. “We were all very excited to be a part of this adventure. From that room, we could see that the future was going to be bright.”
Plug was created in 1997 as a joint venture between MTI and Detroit Edison. MTI, a research and development company, moved 22 employees to Plug to advance the work on fuel cell applications.
Today, Migirditch is the longest-term employee at Plug. He’s the lead buyer for the company, where he’s responsible for purchasing quality components, supplies and services at a fair cost and delivering them on time to meet manufacturing requirements.
Migirditch said one of his biggest career highlights was being a part of the team that developed a fuel cell power generating system for residential use back in 1998.
“Within the first year of starting Plug, we introduced a fuel cell power generating system for residential use,” he said. “We installed it in a house adjacent to the Latham facility and we turned it on during a rollout ceremony — and it worked! It was very exciting.”
From there, Plug installed the units into employee houses before offering them to businesses.
Another career highlight for him? Attending an Albany Business Review event where Plug was recognized the “Best Workplace in the Capital Region.”
“Plug Power has achieved this award numerous times,” Migirditch said. “I attribute this to the strong desire, determination, commitment, and compassion of every employee. We all work together as a close-knit family.”
In fact, the team at Plug is why Migirditch has stayed with the company for so long.
“In working with other companies in the past, I never felt that family-oriented environment that I feel at Plug,” he said. “Plug really shows they care for their employees. I know my contributions matter, not because it’s my job, but because the company makes me feel appreciated.”
On top of that, Migirditch said he knows he’s working with a team that’s helping to decarbonize the world.
“The positive impact (hydrogen and fuel cells) will have on the future of our earth’s environment is what excites me about Plug,” he said. “It’s been a great pleasure to be a part of this company.”